Baked Enchilada Casserole

enchilada casserole in a white baking dish

Like enchilada lasagna, this casserole features layers of savory beef (studded with corn, green chilies, and beans), corn tortillas, and lots of gooey Mexican cheese. The corn tortillas are dunked in enchilada sauce before layering, so they're extra flavorful and perfectly soft.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword casserole, enchilada

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 666kcal

Author Robin Miller

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more/less to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15- ounce can pinto beans rinsed and drained
11- ounce can Mexican style corn or regular corn, drained
4- ounce can chopped green chilies regular or hot
8 corn tortillas cut into 4 wedges each
10- ounce can enchilada sauce mild or hot
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese divided
Chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a thin layer of olive oil.
Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft.
Add the oregano, chili powder, cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Fold in the beans, corn, and green chilies and remove the pan from the heat.
Pour the enchilada sauce into a bowl. Dip half of the tortillas in the enchilada sauce and arrange them in the bottom of the pan, overlapping them as necessary to cover the surface.
Top the tortillas with half of the beef mixture and 1 cup of the cheese.
Dip the remaining tortillas in the enchilada sauce and place them over the beef in the pan (reserve any remaining enchilada sauce).
Top the tortillas with the remaining beef mixture. Pour over any remaining enchilada sauce. Top with the remaining cup of cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the cheese melts.
If desired, place the pan under the broiler to add color to the cheese.
Top with cilantro and serve.

Nutrition